Skip to content

Letter: Many advantages to doctor-assisted suicide

Re: Letter “ Canada should decriminalize euthanasia ,” which appeared in the June 17 edition of Northern Life. In the fall of 2013, I had the pleasure to meet the past national president of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Mr. Norman L.
Re: Letter “Canada should decriminalize euthanasia,” which appeared in the June 17 edition of Northern Life.

In the fall of 2013, I had the pleasure to meet the past national president of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Mr. Norman L. Thackeray, and we had a private conversation about dementia and Alzheimer’s.

When I asked him about euthanasia as a way to end the suffering, and the enormous cost of keeping people alive who are declared “brain dead” by qualified doctors, he was of the opinion that we should work to change the laws to allow people to die with dignity.

He passed away a week later, having been a diabetic for a long time.

I promised him to take up the challenge, so I wrote a letter to all provincial party leaders for comment, but I got no reply.

During the past provincial election, both the Liberals and the NDP campaigned on reducing the cost of health care.

I am asking our MPPs, France Gélinas and Joe Cimino, if they support the idea of doctor-assisted suicide partly as a cost-cutting measure so the money saved could be used to reduce waiting times at hospitals.

The measure can also obtain healthy organs for implants. That way their families will know that part of their loved ones is still alive and contributing to the well-being of our society.

The extra space in nursing homes could be used to house patients after surgery who need to be fully rehabilitated instead of thrown out out the door, onto the street, some of them who have no family to go to.

Alex Sandor
Hanmer